The Vedh Shala in Ujjain has 13 instruments built in stone and masonry, and one of them is a sundial that tells local time. Before you go, the practical question is what the vedh shala ujjain jantar mantar timings and ticket details actually are. Sources disagree on both, so this guide shows every figure we found, with where it came from, rather than picking one and hoping.
Its official name is Government Jiwaji Observatory. The address is Chintaman Road, Jabsinghpura (also spelled Jaisinghpura), Ujjain. Do not search for a "Jantar Mantar Road", because there isn't one. Use Chintaman Road. One source (ujjaindarshan) puts it about 3.5 km from Mahakaleshwar, and that is a single-source figure, so treat it as approximate.
Vedh Shala Ujjain Jantar Mantar Timings and Ticket: What Sources Say
Every source we checked gives a different answer. Here is the full set, labelled.
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Timings | 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Incredible India (official tourism portal) |
| Timings | Sunrise to sunset | Outlook Traveller |
| Timings | 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily | ujjaindarshan.com |
| Timings | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM | agatetravel.com |
| Weekly closed day | None found in any source | - |
| Ticket, Indian | Roughly Rs 10 to Rs 40 (figures of Rs 10, 20, 25 and 40 appear) | Outlook Traveller, ujjaindarshan |
| Ticket, foreign | Roughly Rs 100 to Rs 300 (figures of Rs 100, 200 and 300 appear) | Outlook Traveller, ujjaindarshan, agatetravel |
| Camera | No camera fee found. One source says personal cameras and mobile phones are allowed. | ujjaindarshan (single source) |
By our own calculation, the four listed windows all overlap between 10:00 and 17:00, so arriving mid-morning and leaving by late afternoon fits all four. This is our arithmetic, not a published figure, and the sunrise-to-sunset window shifts with the season. Confirm on the day, since we found no official ASI, MP Tourism or district page with fees or hours.
Planetarium (Taramandel)
Outlook Traveller only, verify on the day: Rs 20 for adults, Rs 10 for children and Rs 100 for foreigners. Shows run every 30 minutes from 11:00 to 16:30, with a minimum of 10 people per show. Each show lasts 20 to 30 minutes and covers planets, stars and constellations.
Best Time and How Long to Stay
Come between 10:00 and 14:00 if you want working shadows. That is the window ujjaindarshan gives for the sundial, and agatetravel says mid-day. Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the instruments, plus the show time if you catch a planetarium session. Information plaques are in Hindi and English (Incredible India).
The Instruments, One by One
The observatory has 13 instruments in all. Our sources name five of them and describe only two, so that is as far as this guide goes.
- Samrat Yantra: the sundial, used to read local time. It is the one that rewards the 10:00 to 14:00 window.
- Nadi Valaya Yantra: one of the named instruments. The sources we used do not describe how it works, so read the plaque on site.
- Shanku Yantra: also named without a description. Check the bilingual plaque.
- Digamsa (Digansha) Yantra: named in the sources, and you will see both spellings. Again, the plaque is your best guide.
- Bhitti Yantra: a transit instrument, used for zenith distance.
The remaining instruments are not named in our sources. Walk the whole compound rather than stopping at the sundial.
Who Built It, and When
The builder was Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. Ujjain was one of five observatories he built, alongside Jaipur, Mathura, Delhi and Varanasi, between 1724 and 1737. Wikipedia gives 1725 for Ujjain, when he was governor there. Outlook Traveller and agatetravel say 1725 to 1730. Other sources cite 1719 and 1723, so the safe statement is that it went up in the 1720s.
Renovation dates also differ by source. Outlook Traveller and agatetravel record a 1923 renovation by Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia of Gwalior. Wikipedia records a rebuild in 1974 and a restoration in 1982, and says the site is owned by the Ujjain Municipal Corporation.
The "Greenwich of India" Claim
You will hear that Ujjain was India's Greenwich. That is Indian tradition: Wikipedia describes it as the historical claim that the first meridian of longitude in the Indian tradition passed through Ujjain. Outlook Traveller cites the Surya Siddhanta (attributed to the 4th century) for the idea that the meridian and the Tropic of Cancer meet here. Treat these as traditional claims, not modern fact. The modern prime meridian is at Greenwich.
Still in Use
The observatory is still used for observations, and an ephemeris, meaning daily planet positions, is published annually (Outlook Traveller). It is a working site, not only a monument.
Getting There
Ujjain Junction (UJN) is the nearest railway station. The nearest airport is Indore (IDR), per Incredible India. Local buses and cabs serve the site (agatetravel). We did not research the Indore to Ujjain road distance for this guide.
What We Could Not Confirm
- An official ASI, MP Tourism or district page listing hours and fees.
- Any weekly closing day.
- Whether there is a camera fee.
- The distance to Ram Ghat. One source's wording is vague, so we give no number.
Other Heritage and Temple Trips
- Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga: Complete Pilgrimage Guide from Indore 2026
- Maheshwar Near Indore 2026
- Dhar Near Indore: Fort, Bhojshala and Medieval History Day Trip Guide
Last verified: 2026-09-26. Prices and timings change, and sources conflict, so check at the gate before you plan around them.
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